Mr Moustache
by ahiddenbanshee
Summary: The woman scribbling her name in the guest book looked relatively ordinary considering what the Cortez's regular clientele used to and occasionally still consists of; they hoped this wasn't another sicko looking to get plowed by a ghost. [MATURE for language throughout and one long explicit scene]


Mr. Moustache

.

"If you don't mind, recently we've been asking how guests came to hear about us…"

Liz and Iris leant a little heavier against the reception desk, hoping to whatever higher power present and listening that this wasn't another sicko looking to get plowed by a ghost. The woman scribbling her name in the guest book – _Mattie Ryan_ \- looked relatively ordinary considering what the Cortez's regular clientele used to and occasionally still consists of: drug addicts and adulterers. Since Billie Dean's recorded specials in the Cortez it was getting awfully annoying for the staff and forever residents of the hotel to tolerate guests, especially those of the more obnoxious variety; although since John Lowe's Devil's Night interview scaring Billie Dean straight and Liz's death being the last death in the hotel it had been somewhat, dare they even think it, normal around the hotel. But ' _normal_ ' was obviously a stretch, considering the owners of the hotel were an elderly vampiress and a transwoman ghost, as well as the fact that a sizable percentage of the hotel's occupancy were ghosts… Regardless, they were at what they constituted as a happy normal now, and the start of the fall season had given them a lull in bookings of late, and inquiring minds wanted to know what brought this (to all appearances) _average_ guest to them.

The woman, Mattie, put down the pen and looked up to the women across the desk, "Oh, uh, I don't know," she shrugged and rubbed her palms down the front of her black skinny jeans, "I guess it's like a, uh, two birds with one stone kind of deal." She raised her hands back up in a pantomime of scales, she weighed down her left hand as she stated, "Temporarily escaping familial responsibilities – I've got two sisters and two brothers, all younger than me, all of them have kids or are due to squirt another one out within the next month. My mom's on my back about _me_ poopin' out a couple ankle-biters but I haven't been with a decent dude, let alone any dude, in like… I don't know, two or three years? I'm not gonna let just any guy stick his dick and me and procreate. Right?"

Iris and Liz nodded along all the while, eyes widening now and then as Mattie blabbered on with hardly any filter to her words. "Your body, your rules," Liz answered when Iris seemed too stunned to muster any response herself.

"Right on." Mattie sighed, and dropped her scale hands to flop at her sides with a dull slap, "But, uh, also just curiosity. My family has a history with this hotel," she admitted with a small grin.

"Oh!" Iris finally found her voice again and walked over to grab a key to an open room, the floor below the penthouse had nice rooms and this girl seemed nice enough, "Well, welcome back," Iris joked with a short laugh, "And stay as long as you need, honey."

"Thanks," Mattie breathed out gratefully, the built up tension already rolling off her shoulders and making them sag in relief.

Liz took the key from Iris and walked around the counter, "Here, sweetie, I'll show you where your room is." She started for the elevator but stopped when Mattie spoke up with a dismissing wave of her hand.

"You don't have to do that, I got it." She hefted the strap of her floral duffel bag onto her left shoulder again and walked to where Liz had stopped. She accepted the key that said 77 with a soft "Thanks." And then followed up with, "Is the bar open yet?"

It was only 3:45 in the afternoon but Liz nodded anyway, lacing her fingers together in front of her with a smile, "Absolutely."

"Great. I'll see you in a bit, thanks again, Liz, Iris." Mattie gave them a small wave with the room key jingling in hand. The older females waved back and she walked to the elevator, the doors opened immediately after hitting the call button and she stepped in and jabbed her thumb on the 7th floor button. The old doors let out a quiet grating sound as they closed and then the carriage started the trek upwards.

Liz deflated with a large sigh and slumped half of her body against the reception desk as soon as the elevator was gone from sight in the lobby, "My god, that kid is gorgeous," she whispered into her arms that pillowed her face from the counter top.

"I know," Iris agreed, then noted, "But she seems so depressed."

"Just because they're pretty doesn't mean they're happy." Liz commented as she dragged herself up from the desk, "And you know _exactly_ whose type she fits the bill for."

"Mhm," Iris hummed in understanding, "Wouldn't be surprised if even she felt him staring down the lobby the whole time too." She paused, glancing toward the first level above the ground floor reception where she had seen the entranced spirit zeroing in on his target. "Think we should try and protect her?"

"I don't know," Liz murmured, turning her back to the desk and Iris to perch her elbows on the counter top and follow Iris's gaze, "He did say he felt complete after John finished his Ten Commandments, and there's only about nine more years before this hotel becomes a historical landmark… but…"

"He **is** a serial killer," Iris supplied.

Liz turned her head enough to meet Iris's eyes, they shared a quiet moment before Liz finally broke and hurried around the reception counter into the back room where the security feeds around the hotel were live. "Let's see if she's made it to her room yet."

To Liz and Iris and all the other spirits astonishment the girl navigated the halls as if she lived them her whole life… or if she walked them before in a previous life…

.

.

The suite was incredible, and Mattie assumed this was either one of the floors they were choosing to preserve or had yet to renovate. Regardless she loved the authentic vintage feel, it seemed untouched since put in place in 1926 in all its original splendor. She found herself dragging her fingertips along every finely finished wood surface, along the wallpaper and tiling, her socked toes, once she kicked off her slip-on shoes, curled into the carpet of the floor, and she clutched her fingers into the fine linen of the sheets when she flopped down onto the king size bed.

"Ohh damn," she murmured to herself as she felt herself sinking into the mattress. She half hoped it would swallow her whole and she would never be seen again. She would be totally fine with that. But no. She remained atop the plush surface of the mattress and its bedcovers, still alive and in the present. She turned onto her stomach and plucked her cell phone from her jacket pocket and felt her stomach drop at the amount of texts, missed calls, and emails she found waiting to be acknowledged on her lock screen. Anxiety mounted quickly but she found an even quicker solution in turning off the device and shoving it beneath the pillows at the head of the bed. For now, she would ignore it all; for how long she wasn't quite sure yet. What she was decidedly sure of was the date she'd set up at the bar, she was going to meet Liz and down a few drinks to temporarily forget all her woes.

.

.

Ghosts were already lingering around the Blue Parrot by the time Mattie made it back to the first floor around 4:30 pm. She'd shed her coat but kept the hoodie on beneath it, the hair tie that kept her hair in a haphazard floppy bun atop her head was gone and her honey brunette locks tumbled down past her shoulders in a wavy waterfall. The other ghostly patrons openly gawked at Mattie but she was either unaware or didn't care as she plopped herself onto a seat at the bar and ordered a whiskey neat. Two whiskeys were downed and Mattie didn't speak, and Liz did not pester to get her talking. Originally Liz had assumed the girl had wanted to talk when she asked about the bar being open, evidently she just wanted to steadily get tanked. But as a dark shadow began to grow clearer in form as it drew nearer, Liz felt compelled to draw Mattie into conversation even if it was far too late. Those dark eyes had stuck to the girl the moment she'd entered the hotel, there was no diverting the man from his path once he set his sights on something he desired, and it had been such a long time since he desired something other than Elizabeth or murder.

The original owner of the Cortez sat at the far left end of the bar and just watched, a drink was placed near his elbow on a coaster and he sipped quietly as minutes turned to hours passed and the Blue Parrot began to fill with other guests - ghost and living alike. His dark eyes hardly ever wandered from her unless someone sat between them and blocked his view, but he remedied that by slipping closer, chair by chair until he was only a seat away from her and the time read 7:45 pm. Mattie was on her 4th whiskey, and he was quite impressed for a girl of her stature and build to be able to put away that much liquor without so much as a tremble or awkwardness in her hands or a lethargy in the way she blinked.

Liz was rather curious as to how the man would work this; she wondered how someone of his age – from his time - flirted, if it was truly possible or if he'd simply flaunt that awkwardly charming accent and flash a grin beneath that pencil mustache and that was it. She tended to other patrons all around the Blue Parrot but always kept an eye on Mattie, there was no telling what could happen once one became the target of _the_ James Patrick March.

Mattie was nursing her 5th whiskey for the past hour. It was well into the evening now on a Tuesday night and other guests were turning in to their rooms around 9 pm, but Mattie remained at the same seat at the bar, staring – seemingly – into the void with a thousand-yard stare. James was right beside her now, and without any shame whatsoever he was staring just as intensely at her as she was staring at the bottles lining the back wall of the bar. Liz nearly found herself snorting aloud and wanted to gather Iris and everyone else to see this obnoxious display, but she couldn't risk leaving the girl alone, not yet. Liz almost squeaked in surprise when she felt a hand hook onto her waist, she turned to the source and was glad to find it was only Tristan.

"So what's going on here anyway? Is he broken?" Tristan asked.

Liz scoffed, "No idea what his angle is. Makes me wonder how he managed to marry Elizabeth if this is how he operates."

"It isn't." Both Liz and Tristan startled at the sound of the Countess's voice joining in on their conversation, she was seated at a table just behind where they stood at the entrance to the bar. Neither could fathom a guess as to how long she'd been sitting there but she had a drink in front of her which led Liz to believe she was too distracted with Mattie to realize the Countess had been there all this time. "He is truly enchanted by this outwardly unremarkable creature. The only reason he loved me is for my beauty, and then a shared darkness…" the Countess trailed off as she focused her sight on the girl in question, "Clearly he sees something we don't..."

Liz and Tristan followed the Countess's gaze just in time to see Mattie finally show a sign of life in what had appeared to be her hours long catatonic state. "Are you just going to stare at me all night, Mr. March, or are you going to talk to me?" The three bystanders' individual brows rose simultaneously, astounded. To not only to call him out but by name as well was rather impressive. And James seemed to balk in his own surprise at her brashness before he mentally found his footing once again and placed a smile on his face.

"My darling, you're as astute as you are beautiful!" he commended her, his grin brightening by the second when she finally turned her sights away from the wall to meet his gaze.

She shrugged her right shoulder, raising her glass as she answered, "I've been called worse things. Astute's a nice one." She brought the glass to her lips and sipped slowly.

James' eyes unabashedly followed her mouth all the while until she set the glass back down. He let out a short laugh and leant closer into Mattie's space. "Tell me, darling, what gave me away?"

"Oh, let's see," Mattie sighed and turned in her seat to face him. She swung one leg to cross over the other and propped her left elbow against the bar counter top and leant her head against her closed fist as she surveyed the man before her with a short sweep and answered with, "I _would_ say the murder eyes, but…" she paused to sink her teeth into her bottom lip, a motion which James eagerly tracked with his so-called 'murder eyes'. "You just naturally exude something that's all you, Mr. March. It's hard to ignore, hard to not recognize… and I suppose the throwback style was a good indicator as well."

James chuckled, "You flatter me, dear. And please, call me James."

"Mattie." She didn't remove her head from its perched place as she brought up her free right hand out to shake. But to her surprise, though she honestly should have seen it coming, he took hold of her fingers and raised her hand just enough for him to lean his head down and press his lips against her knuckles, all the while keeping his dark hypnotizing eyes locked on hers. Her eyes were something of a hazel tending more towards green. Her eyes, framed with smudged winged eyeliner and mascara, widened, and to James' pleasure she glanced away toward the bar as a redness heated her cheeks in response to his gesture.

"Mattie." James repeated the name in his own accent, slowly releasing her hand from his hold, "Now that's an unusual name for a young lady nowadays, I think."

"It was my great great grandmother's name…" she gave in explanation, and sat up straight to turn back to the bar and towards her drink, she took it in hand and sipped, her words amplified in the glass, "And you should know that." She sipped again.

James was amused the moment she had blushed, and now he adored whatever game she was playing. "Should I now?"

She nodded with a little ascending hum in her throat, then confirmed, "You killed her in this hotel."

Tristan had to vanish entirely after abruptly laughing so loudly at that totally unexpected admission. Liz and the Countess stared at where the former model stood only moments ago, and then to each other before the Countess focused on her drink and staring out towards the lobby on the ground floor, and Liz hurriedly busied herself with plucking empty glasses from tables to take back behind the bar and clean. James hadn't even registered the sound of Tristan's amusement, or the fact that he and Mattie had gained an audience, he was far too occupied with his own amusement and Mattie before him.

"Ah… yes of course," he agreed easily, "But, you must understand, I killed clear into the hundreds of guests in this hotel, my dear. Names and faces..." he went on to explain but Mattie nodded along and cut him off.

"I'm sure all the faces blend together and names are forgotten with time. But." She had a small grin breaking at the corner of her mouth, "The story goes that great great gramma Mattie had legs for days, which I was unfortunate enough to not inherit… damn it." She glanced down to her crossed legs which were in fact quite fine if only average in length, definitely not the sort of legs one would extol for going on for days.

"Mm!" James released a tickled hum, his eyes tracing a path from her canvas shoed feet, up her black fabric tightly clad legs, straying on her thighs until he landed squarely on her ass. A tinge of hunger leaked into his words as he began conversationally, "Well, if I may be so bold-"

"I hardly think I could stop you."

"Aha! Quite right, dear. But if I may profess, Mattie darling, you have quite the loveliest rear end I've seen in decades. I would simply adore the opportunity to smack it to a blazing, angry red by my own hand, if gifted the chance." James had sincerely hoped to see the blush return to her face, but he found himself disappointed as she rolled her eyes away from him and to her drink once again. She tipped the remaining contents back into her throat and set the glass back on the bar with a light clink, swallowing without a wince as she did so.

"Listen, I'm not one for a romantic build up," Mattie stated as she slid off her barstool and to James' delight she remained the same height as when she was seated, he'd wager she was a little more than half a foot shorter than him. His intrigue was piqued yet again at this new turn of events, he thought he'd crossed the line when his hunger and lust got the best of him and she was finished with him before he had truly started but here she was drawing nearer, eyeing him with something similar to what he might construe as 'murder eyes'. "So if you can put your money where your mouth is, meet me in my room in ten minutes and fuck me like you wanna kill me."

Liz dropped a glass on the bar but there was not enough distance to cause it to shatter. A grin spread across the Countess's mouth as she saw a rekindled fire light behind James' eyes – the feral beast was tugging at the chain that restrained it, soon to be set free upon a willing companion. "Darling," he purred and reached out towards Mattie's face, brushing the backs of his fingers across her cheek and gliding into her hair to idly twirl a lock around his digits, "You are a revelation."

A smirk twisted up Mattie's mouth and she said again, "Ten minutes."

At her table the Countess was filled with newfound wonder and elation. She watched James stalk away from the bar, a salacious grin on his mouth and his gaze lingering on Mattie for as long as possible before he was gone from sight. Mattie remained at the bar for a solid minute staring at her empty glass on the counter top, she could feel Liz's gaze on her and finally met it with a sure nod that communicated she knew what she was doing, she knew the risks, but she was going to go through with it and whatever happened would be because of her own choice. Liz gave her a small smile and a shrug of one shoulder in return, and with that Mattie slapped down a few bills on the bar that paid for her drinks and a tip, and then she was headed towards the elevator.

The Countess stood swiftly and followed her, taking Mattie's hand in her own before she could hit the call button for the lift. Mattie turned in confusion but then her eyes widened in clear recognition, which was confirmed when only a moment later when she breathed out, "Holy shit, you're Elizabeth Johnson."

The Countess smiled closed lipped before asking, "How did you know?" It had been some time since she heard her birthname spoken aloud.

Mattie seemed far more awed and star struck in Elizabeth's presence than James', the Countess found this terribly gratifying. "Reputation precedes you, apparently. And I – I've seen some old films. My great grandmother Julia loved the silent films. You were in some of them."

For a moment or two the Countess felt all the work she'd done as a young actress had paid off, even if she had only one fan, it was enough to make her feel like the starlet she always dreamt of being. She found her focus again and clutched the hand she still had in her grasp tightly, "Listen, Mattie, and listen well. I need you to fuck James into oblivion. Make it so he forgets me, even though you're already doing a bang-up job of that already."

The younger's jaw fell slack and she let out an eloquent, "Uhh…"

The Countess rolled her eyes at such a display, "Don't give me that. You know exactly how to work a man, I can tell."

Mattie snapped her mouth shut and shrugged a shoulder, "Well sure. But, uh… Why?"

"I despise him," Elizabeth stated with all the rage and disgust she truly felt, "The less I have to see or interact with him in this forsaken joke of an afterlife the better, that's all you need to know."

"Absolutely," Mattie nodded, and the Countess appreciated that the girl didn't need any more details than that, that she could tell just from her tone that it was a story that would be best not recounted. "Anything else?"

Elizabeth surveyed the girl before her. Perhaps she wasn't so ordinary after all. In truth, she was rather beautiful, even if she was just a human and looked no older than 23 or so. Honey brunette hair cascaded in large soft curls past her shoulders, hazel green eyes framed in smoky makeup; she could use a little color on her lips, and maybe something to highlight her cheekbones, if Elizabeth was honest. The hoodie was terrible, a cotton blend, gray thing with a worn-out logo on the left breast representing some cause for something who knows when or why. If Mattie survived James' ravaging Elizabeth felt inclined to treat the girl like her doll, dress and make her up to her standards… Hell, she might even let Will Drake in on the fun. "You two could be quite cute together, you could make each other happy." She gave Mattie's hand a squeeze before finally letting go, "So make sure you have a good time too." The Countess hit the call button for the elevator and stepped away.

"Can do," Mattie grinned, and looked toward the elevator doors at the sound of the carriage drawing nearer.

The Countess mirrored her grin, "Thank you, dear."

.

.

James Patrick March could be a patient man when it suited him, but when it came to carnal desires he would not be kept waiting. Mattie said ten minutes. Well, he fled to her room, which was conveniently right beside his, immediately after her proposition. Every minute felt like an hour, and every second he could feel his arousal nearing painful. The girl wasn't even in his presence and she had affected him so with just her words repeated and echoing in his skull. It was the start of minute six when the key slid into the lock and the door cracked open. As soon as the door shut and Mattie was past the entryway he charged on his voluntary prey. Ghost or no, James March still maintained a physical bearing of a six-foot-tall 180-pound man. He crowded her bodily against the wall with a slam, silencing her shrill sound of alarm although it was music to his ears, he had to have that mouth that spoke such wonderful filth. He captured her lips with his, tilted her face upwards for a better fit, better access; a shiver coursed up his spine at the pleased little hum she released that vibrated against his lips and teeth once she realized it was him. He pressed closer, and slid his right hand over her chest, resting over her heart that beat out a frantic rhythm, first of fear, now of excitement. James' tongue dipped into her mouth to taste the lingering traces of whiskey there but then he released a gasp and tried to recoil when her teeth clamped onto his bottom lip and tugged harshly enough to draw blood were he still living. Both of his hands surged into her hair and grabbed fistfuls at the roots. She reacted by setting his lip free and let out a whine as he kept her hair captive in his grip. Her eyes slid open, swimming as if dizzy from the mix of pleasure and pain already. A smile curled at the corners of her open panting mouth. James stared down at her in complete awe and found he had to dip for a taste again. His tongue traced along her bottom lip and went further to stroke against her tongue briefly before he retreated to stare her down once again. She let loose a pitifully enticing moan at the loss of his mouth on hers.

The fire was blazing within him now as he puffed out a shuddered breath at just the sight of the woman within his grasp. "I must have you, darling," he quite literally growled, his fingers clutched a little harder in her hair and she winced.

"Then have me," she answered in a desperate whisper. The sound of her voice, so breathless, so shameless. Her words repeated in his mind again: Fuck me like you wanna kill me. Fuck me like you wanna kill me. Fuck me like you wanna kill me. Mattie was so beautiful, so full of life, so willing. James knew there was reason he was pulled towards the lobby when this person stepped through the threshold; it was his very own creation - the hotel - alerting him to yet another like-minded being claiming a temporary home within the antique walls.

He allowed her hands roam his body, let her nimble little fingers pull at the various buttons that kept his skin far from reach while they both went about toeing off their shoes. Once his jacket and waistcoat were gone she shifted the suspenders from his shoulders and started at the top three buttons of his shirt and pulled at the ascot hiding his hideous cause of death from sight. To his morbid delight she hungrily pressed her lips to the gruesome wound without a hint of hesitation and proceeded to grip at the cloth of his shirt and rip with all her might. Buttons went flying and he was both impressed and aroused at such a barbarous gesture. He gripped her by her forearms before she could peel away the rest of the now ruined dress shirt from his form. His hands were tight enough to bruise but she didn't give any sign of distress, in fact she gasped in such an enthralled way his manhood throbbed in his trousers.

"How do you want me?" she asked and damn if that didn't send a thrill throughout James' entire being as he walked her backwards through the sitting area into the bedroom until her legs hit against the bed and forced her to sit down.

"I think, my darling, I would like your mouth first," James stated as calmly as he could manage as he released his tight hold on her and went about undoing the fastenings of his trousers, all the while watching Mattie as she compliantly slid down the side of the bed and settled onto her knees, waiting as patiently as possible for him to unveil his cock to her. Such a perfect example of unrestricted human life, the way she slides into the docile role, the ease of her filthy words spilling from her pretty mouth. As soon as his stiffened dick was brought into the open air she lurched forward to take it between her lips. Just teasing to start, lips and tongue drooling over the length of it before she took it in its entirety. James tilted his head back, eyes rolling back in his skull and his jaw falling slack. It had been quite some time for him since he shared in pleasure with another. His hips rocked forward as she let her throat loosen to be used, bobbing along in contrast to his movements, his trousers and underpants falling further down his legs. Her nails trailed up the backs of his bare knees and up his thighs, causing a shiver and goosebumps to rise upon his ghostly flesh. He was cursing without any thought to his words from her attention, and when her fingers traced to grasp lightly at his sac he physically pulled away entirely with a hearty moan. "You're good," he commented, temporarily stricken by the sight of her mouth looking so swollen red and spit slickened. He grabbed at her upper arms and hauled her up onto the bed, his hands sought the button and fly of her tight black skinny jeans as he growled, "But I'm better." Her pants were yanked away from her legs and took her socks along with it. In his haste to remove her panties he ended up ripping them from her form instead and then he hunched forward to settle himself buried between her thick thighs, fingers dug into the doughy flesh of her ass to keep her where he wanted her. For several long minutes, he relentlessly attacked her precious folds with his tongue, lips, and an occasional graze of teeth, focusing on her clit and making her squirm and scream under his vice like grip.

Tears streamed mascara blackened from her eyes as she cried out with her third forced orgasm by his mouth. She was pleading through gasping breaths, her hands carding through and mussing his formerly perfect slicked hair as she tried to yank him away, begging him. He ceased only because his desire was growing too great. He was still dressed in his undershirt, his trousers were splayed open with his underpants fallen down to rest at the backs of his knees. His hands grabbed desperately at the remaining fabric that hid her from him; he wanted her in glorious bare totality. The hoodie was gone across the room, and the camisole beneath was torn away to reveal she wasn't wearing a brassiere to contain her full bust. His hands grasped before he dove forward to sink his teeth into new flesh. While he groped at her breasts his teeth nipped at her collar bones until little spots of blood pooled at the surface. She whined and moaned, fingers deep within his dark hair, dragging him upwards for a messy kiss then shoving him away moments later to turn her back to him and crawl further up the bed. Peeking over her shoulder, she flashed him bedroom eyes that begged come hither and he would not deny her. Fully nude, covered only in a sheen of sweat, trembling with anticipation, Mattie was perched on hands and knees with signs of her pleasure glistened between her thighs. James was harder than he'd ever been before and ready to burst, he remained partially clothed as he got in bed and sidled up between her knees and pressed his front to her back, puffing his heavy breath against her right ear as he used one hand to line himself up and the other to curl around her precious, soft little throat.

Mattie's slight hand came to rest atop James' larger, callused hand upon her throat, and much to his pleasure she didn't try to pull his fingers away, but rather curled hers on top his in an encouraging gesture. It was enough to hearten him and lead him to sliding into her in one solid thrust. His grasp on her neck tightened reflexively as his girth was encompassed by her tightness. She gasped at the combination of feelings, it had been a long while since she was so completely filled, she struggled to inhale and that made it all the better for her. A grin tore across Mattie's mouth as James settled into the feeling of her surrounding him, so perfect, so warm, so sweet, and then immediately broke into a savage, merciless pace. The hand that wasn't at her throat gripped at her hip, pulling her back with every thrust, although she was doing a fine job of keeping up with him and pushing back into his thrusts on her own. Her raspy gasping moans were beautiful, her free hand clawed and groped at the pillows stacked at the head of the bed, he panted and grunted his indulgence in concert with her. James found himself too close to bliss too soon and slowed to a stop. He growled against Mattie's neck and pulled himself free from her warmth. He shuffled backwards until he could touch his feet to the floor once again. With both hands, he pulled her by her hips so that her feet would fall to touch the floor as well; with knees wobbling and her thighs trembling she stood with her back to James' front, gulping in as much air as she could in case he planned on replacing his hand on her throat again. He pressed at the small of her back until she was bent forward atop the bed covers. He kicked a foot at the inside of her right calf in a silent order to spread her legs a little wider, and with her concurrence he was guiding himself into her once again, sighing in contentment as he did, and setting back into his favored brutal pace.

Mattie was sobbing out her pleasure, but to anyone passing through the hall it would sound like murder. James was in total rapture. His grunts of euphoria caused a clench from Mattie, further spurring his ferocious efforts to reach his blissful end. He couldn't stand it a moment longer; he would indeed put his money where his mouth was like she'd said; a hand broke free from its bruising grip on her hips to crack down on her backside. He watched, enthralled, as the flesh rippled against his strike, the way she cried out in delight and quivered on his cock in response only made him want to do it again. Again and again he spanked at her ass until it was as bright as he envisioned and she was muffling her cries into the sheets and pressing back against him just as hard as he was giving it to her. "Ohh, Mattie," James rumbled and clutched at her reddened flesh after a final smack.

"James!" Mattie called back, her voice was raw from screaming out her ecstasy, "Please! Please!" she begged.

"Please, what, my dear?" He queried, picking up his pace as he felt he would spend soon and there was no way to stop it now.

"I wanna come," she panted out, "I wanna come on your cock!"

James cursed under his breath and pulled out only to flip Mattie onto her back, grasp her legs by the ankles and settled them onto his shoulders. He slid back in with ease and set back into his pace without so much as a stammer. He was chasing his release, but he was determined to see Mattie reach hers first one more time. He brought his right hand to his mouth and stuck his first two fingers in, slicking them enough and then pressing them in tight circles against Mattie's clit.

She praised him as she rapidly began to crest, trying her hardest to keep her eyes open, to stay on his face if not his pistoning hips. Her final cry was that of a blood curdling scream, tears were falling freely from her eyes as a full body shudder overtook her and she rode it out in its glorious entirety. James was still at it, watching her as her pleasure consumed her was intoxicating. But then far too suddenly she was lurching forward, a feral light in her eyes the likes of which lit his own eyes most of the time. Mattie tackled him in his moment of vulnerability while he gazed upon her. His legs staggered and together they crashed all the way to the floor; James released a grunt of pain, but Mattie had the focus of a true predator. She straddled his hips, sank back on his length and went right into a pace that had him nearing his end once again. James stared up in reverence at the creature on top of him, his mind was largely muddled with the need to come, but distantly in the back of his mind he wondered where Mattie had been when he was alive… of course she wasn't born yet, and luckily the maternal ancestor that bore her name first had already passed on her genes so that Mattie would eventually be born, but damn it all. She was a delight to all his sweet and morbid senses. His mouth was agape, sounds spilling forth without his consent, his hands reached out to her, to rest somewhere, just to touch her soft, warm skin, but then his head jerked to the left. She struck him with the back of her hand, his stinging cheek confirmed this and before he could recover both her hands were at his throat. Even if he didn't need air, it was the principle of the thing, and he absolutely adored it. There wasn't a falter in her rhythm even as she leant herself forward to press more weight against his windpipe while his hands blindly groped and fondled at any skin he could find as he felt his vision starting to darken at the edges. But luckily he wouldn't pass out before seeing Mattie crest once again with a beautiful contortion of features on her face and a loud scream of his name. His hips stilled and then pumped twice more, he groaned his completion and her hands lifted away to allow him access to unneeded breath.

Mattie slumped on top of him, her hair falling across his chest as she buried her face into his neck. Her breath was hot against his skin, staggered measured breaths as she tried to maintain a steady respiratory and heart rate. "Sorry," she whispered, "I probably should've made sure that was okay before I did that."

"Darling," James croaked, his formerly splayed out arms numbly lifted up to hook around her waist, "I do believe you were made for me."

.

.

Mattie Ryan remained at the hotel for three days following her explosive first encounter with James March. James would hardly leave her alone, if not to participate in sexual congress then just to talk and bask in her company that made him feel alive again. And the more she spoke the more smitten he became.

"Surprise! You murdered a murderer!"

James, fully nude after what was either their sixth or eighth bout of vigorous copulation, stared blankly for a solid three seconds before he muttered, "Come again?" He was laid out on his side, propping his head up on his closed fist so he could gaze down upon Mattie's face. Her hair was splayed out among the pillows and her cheeks were still brightened red from their romp. His free hand idly traced patterns along her stomach, but ceased when she blurted out that interesting piece of trivia.

"Great great gramma Mattie was a psycho," she explained as casually as if it were the weather they were speaking of and not her ancestor that had died by James' very hands some 90 years ago. "She was on the lam when she checked into the Cortez. Story goes that she killed six men at her husband's work and high tailed it outta there. Left my great gramma Julia with her father and never looked back. But, I mean, I'm sure she had plans to eventually return or reunite but you fucked that up."

"Ha! Astounding," James commented and his idle tracing began once again.

"Right?" Mattie grinned and joked further, "And I wouldn't be surprised if she had planned to kill you too."

"What a hilarious end it would have been for me. Bested by one of my own kind." James smirked when Mattie let out a laugh of her own. "But I wonder," he said, and his smirk grew when she hummed for him to continue, "Why Mattie the First went and killed six men at her husband's work to begin with? What was the significance of those men?"

Mattie shook her head, "Loyal wife trying to protect her husband? The details are murky, _mostly_ because she disappeared in this hotel."

"Hmm. And how, I wonder, will the story go when you disappear in this hotel?" James leant down, his lips brushing against hers with his words.

She sealed their lips together and then pulled away enough to murmur back, "Not yet."

James sighed dramatically and fell away from his looming position to sprawl on his back, "You wound me, darling."

"I have shit to take care of, mostly a job," she adopted his previous position of perching her head on her hand and leaning over his form. "Otherwise I would love to rollick around this hotel with you and fuck against every surface in it forever."

James' brow quirked up with intrigue, but before he could ask what she meant by forever she was removing herself from the bed and searching the room for her clothes and asking about all the secret oddities he'd purposely planned into the hotel's construction. He was far too eager to brag, nearly forgetting his own clothes before he took her by the hand and gave her the most in depth historical walk through of the Cortez no one else ever had and lived to tell the tale.

He showed her his trophy room lined with mounts of animals and humans, and she asked where one or two came from or who this was and what they did to deserve a place on his wall. She wasn't the least bit disturbed, in fact if anything she seemed more troubled by the animals he'd hunted rather than the people he'd murdered.

.

.

Midafternoon on her fourth day at the Cortez marked the end of her stay. She didn't have much to pack in that she'd only brought another change of clothes and a toothbrush; Ms. Evers had been kind enough to launder those clothes twice for her (believing if she provided her services to the Master's new lover without being directed it would put her back in his good graces). James tried to maintain an unaffected demeanor as he helped her into her coat and watched her sling her bag's strap onto her shoulder (she had denied his offer to carry her bag for her, reasoning that it wasn't that heavy, although she appreciated the gesture, truly). Together they left her room, took a silent elevator ride down to the ground floor, and in the lobby, just before the entrance doors he kissed her like it was the last time he ever would. Mattie raised her hands to frame his face as she pulled away with a smile, "It's not like I'm not coming back." She was already reading his mind, as if they'd been together and knew each other for decades rather than just the few days they spent mostly tangled in bedsheets. "I promise," she stated quite ardently, "I'll come back."

James was battling himself. Back in his prime it was alright for people to meet, declare their love, and marry quickly. Nowadays people waited years before even proposing, and then waited years longer to have the wedding. Regardless of current time he would not keep his feelings bottled up. What if she never came back and he didn't tell her. His heart, dark and dead as it may be, belonged solely to Mattie. "Darling," he began haltingly, but damn the consequences it was now or never. "I love you."

Her sincere visage broke when a bright smile bloomed across her mouth, "James, I will be back soon. Don't go too crazy in my absence."

He tried to mirror her grin but likely failed as he watched her exit the hotel, "No promises, dear..."

James was in a rotten disposition for the rest of the day and the following weeks that Mattie was gone. His mind battled with the idea that she had forgotten him, that only in the hotel did she remember who he was and that he loved her so. He felt more on edge than he had in years, he saw guests check in and out and none of them were Mattie and because of that he wanted them dead. The days blended together and he wondered if he would ever function normally again, or if Mattie had not only walked away with his heart in her grasp but his sanity as well.

Only three weeks, so said the calendar, passed before James felt that strange pull towards the lobby once again. He rushed down the stairs when calling the elevator proved too slow. It was just as Liz passed Mattie the key to room 78 when James burst through the stairway access door and burst, "Darling!" and rushed across the space between them to crush her in an embrace. Liz and Iris watched on, amused and intrigued that James was still quite smitten and just the sight of Mattie had changed his sour demeanor entirely. He released her enough to put her at arm's length and survey her properly. His happy visage dimmed when he saw how tired Mattie looked, her fingers without the key in hand just barely had a grip on the sleeve of his jacket. Her smile was genuine but she looked positively exhausted. "Come, Mattie." He shifted an arm around her shoulders and held her close as he guided them to the elevator, "Time for rest."

"Thank you, darling," she replied, leaning against him as the elevator shot upwards to the 7th floor. She was nodding off from just the comfort that James' proximity brought and his thumb rubbing soothingly back and forth against her shoulder. By the time they reached James' room she was asleep on her feet. James plucked the bag from her shoulder to drop on a chair in the sitting room before he guided her to the bed. He slipped her coat from her shoulders and the hoodie as well, then took off her shoes and tucked her in beneath the covers. She shimmied an arm out from under the sheets and comforter to grope blindly, a whine escaping her throat. "James. Stay with me."

Of course he obliged her. And he stayed with her the entire time she slept, which was close to a solid 14 hours. Breakfast food rolled in on a cart about ten minutes after Mattie had disappeared into the bathroom for a shower. James had called room service and he wasn't at all peeved to see Ms. Evers carting the breakfast in, his concern solely on his love and why she was so bedraggled since the last time they were together.

Still in a bathrobe and hair briefly towel dried Mattie munched on toast slathered with butter and jam. She leant toward the cart and took the kettle of hot water off and went about scooping provided tea leaves into the pot enough for two strong cups of tea, regardless of James truly needing sustenance like she did, manners were manners. She finished off the first piece of toast and started on a second piece while she waited for the tea to steep. "Go on then," she murmured through a cheek half stuffed with toast.

James burst, having sat still and staring with a contemplative look on his face at Mattie for the past five minutes without any comment uttered until given expressed permission. "Darling, why are you so tired? Has something happened? Are you unwell?"

Mattie grinned at the rapid-fire questions wrapped in genuine concern and set down the toast to pick up her tea cup and blow on the steaming beverage. "Do you know what I do for work, James?"

"Well, no, dear. You haven't told me."

"I'm a registered nurse. Took me four years, right after high school. And the past the four years I've been working to pay my loans back, y'know the real American dream. I've been working at the same nursing home since I started as a nurse's assistant ten years ago. Now I oversee the duties of the rest of the nursing staff of the facility. I supervise all the patients' overall health and history and make sure they get the best care we can give them. I work with a lot of physicians, start IVs, monitor blood sugar levels, administer oxygen and injections… and manage everyone's – staff and patient - schedules." Mattie took a few sips, appearing to just enjoy her tea but she was truly considering the correct wording for the admission that was to follow.

"That's quite a hefty list of responsibilities, my dear. And I'm sure you handle it all magnificently." There was still a bit of anxiety at the edges of his words, the corners of his eyes were still worry widened though he pasted on a happy face for her benefit.

She appreciated the gesture and his words, nodding in agreement and thanks while setting the cup down to continue, "You're right. Until about two months ago, when I passed out while on my nightly rounds." She sat back against her cushy chair and folded her arms around her middle. "It was the longest I'd passed out before. Usually they were quick little spells, quick enough that no one else knew about it. But this time I was found by a coworker, and of course she couldn't keep her mouth shut..." she sighed and raised a hand to smooth her fingers over the pinch between her brows. "I had to see my doctor or else I would be suspended from work, which is ridiculous considering I run the damn place." She shook her head with a humorless laugh and brought her hand away from her face to tuck around her middle again, "Anyway. I used to think I was just naturally weak, especially as a kid. If I exerted myself too much fainting was a normal thing, thought it was something I'd eventually grow out of." She glanced up from where she realized her unfocused vision was stuck on the teapot on the coffee table and saw James was hanging on her every word, and in fact, he looked a little unnerved. She figured she shouldn't let this draw on too much longer otherwise he'd go bonkers from the anticipation. But first she removed herself from her chair to take a place beside him on the love seat he occupied. He seemed grateful for the new adjacency, close enough to lay his hands on her, but not wanting to pull her close just yet. "So, umm," Mattie cleared her throat, "Turns out it's genetic. Shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting episodes. A heart abnormality called Long QT Syndrome. Had it since birth and didn't know until my goddamn 28th year of life."

James couldn't hold himself back any longer, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her towards his chest. Her own arms rested against his frame, and he gave into the compulsion to lean back against the cushions until they were both comfortably slumped, "But what does that mean? You simply have a weak heart? Then we shouldn't go at it like rabbits, Mattie darling, you should have told me!"

She chuckled against his chest and shook her head slightly, "It doesn't matter to me. I told you to fuck me like you wanted to kill me and you did. If I mentioned the heart defect you would've treated me like I was made of glass."

He couldn't deny that.

"I haven't told my family," she confessed, "You're the first person I've told outside of my coworkers, and they've been cutting my hours so I'm less stressed, but to be honest the more time I'm off the more stress it causes. I **need** to be busy, y'know?"

"Of course," he could understand that easily, what he couldn't understand was her reluctance to break the news, "But why haven't you informed your family?"

"Because they'll lose their collective minds. And Mom'll have to reveal that I don't share the same dad with the rest of my siblings and that's a secret she wanted to take to the grave. Ridiculous." She shook her head again. "And they will want to monitor the hell outta me. And I…" she drew in a large breath and exhaled in a huge sigh, "I've had a lot of time to think about it and I don't want any treatment. And… especially since I've met you, I've decided… I'd rather die on my own terms than let a sudden heart attack take me out."

James sat them up abruptly, putting enough distance between them to meet her eyes. His own eyes were glittering with a kind of hysteria, his mouth curling at the corners with a barely contained manic grin. "So when you said forever… with me… You really meant…?"

The initial hesitance stemming from James' sitting up and putting distance between them melted away, and a similar look of elation filled her face. She bit her lip and she nodded.

.

.

"Elizabeth, dear! Thank you for coming, I have magnificent news to share!" James crowed from across the room. Room 78 was packed with all the spirits and undead of the hotel, all had been promptly invited to this spontaneous gathering that James had put together only hours ago. Mattie was making her rounds around the room, moving from being arm and arm with James then to arm and arm with Liz and then arm and arm with Iris to make acquaintances with the other forever tenants of the Cortez. Upon Elizabeth's arrival, Mattie gravitated towards the woman to welcome her, a look of apology in her eyes since she knew she didn't want to see or hear from James ever again.

"That's why I'm here…" Elizabeth muttered sarcastically under her breath, to which Mattie gave her a small secret sympathetic smile, resting her hand on her shoulder briefly. The Countess was the final guest to arrive, so Mattie drifted away when Ms. Evers stepped forward with a tray with a few champagne flutes balanced on top. Elizabeth plucked one off and sent a wink Mattie's way as she wandered back towards James' side.

With everyone accounted for James tapped the ring on his little finger against his glass several times to draw the rooms attention. Every damned soul looked up from their separate conversations toward the source of the sound to see James hook his arm around Mattie's waist as she took the final flute of champagne from Ms. Evers tray. "Thank you all for coming to this most joyous of announcements!" He glanced down to the woman on his arm with the brightest of smiles and looked back to the gathering of souls, "Now you've all met Mattie Ryan, if only in a brief exchange, but you will all have far more time to grow familiarized as Mattie and I are to be married!"

There were immediate sounds of shock, delight, and congratulations, but just as immediately all eyes seemed to switch from the engaged couple to Elizabeth who was smiling courteously (courteous of how wide she was smiling, that is) and raised her glass, "Splendid!" she cheered. The rest of the guests amped up their animation after the Countess's approval.

"I sincerely hope there will be no hard feelings, Elizabeth, dear," James said in something of a genuine tone, but it was hard to take seriously when his smile was incapable of dampening.

"Of course not. I'm absolutely thrilled for you, both of you." Elizabeth let her smile grow a little wider as she raised her glass higher and addressed the room, "A toast! To the March's – James and Mattie. May you endure eternity with everlasting love and happiness."

"To the March's!" the room chorused and sipped from their glasses. James was beaming so brightly Mattie couldn't help but laugh when he struggled to sip from his own glass without mishap.

Liz sidled up to the couple, Tristan not far behind, she swirled the champagne in her glass as she asked, "And when is the happy day?"

Mattie's voice was a little rough when she answered as she has just necked the entire contents of her flute in one go. "As soon as I croak." Ms. Evers appeared to take her empty glass and provided her with another, Mattie smiled and nodded her gratitude to the maid.

"Darling!" James' response sounded offended, his eyes widened in shock and lips shiny from a sip gone wrong, likely due to her candid answer. His hand squeezed against her waist in a silent message to correct her response to something less gruesome, something that didn't taint the air of this cheerful occasion.

"Oh, excuse me," she smiled and looked back to Liz and Tristan who looked amused, "As soon as I off myself." Mattie amended and took a hearty sip from her glass.

All three looked to James to gauge his response, he seemed to be weighing her words in his head for a few seconds before he nodded, "Better." And took a deep sip from his own glass.

"I've got some loose ends to tie up first. But a heart attack's not gonna do me in, no siree," Mattie tipped back the rest of her second glass, barely aware of the empty glass being replaced with a full one again.

"Oh, honey," Liz reached forward to take Mattie's hand in a sympathetic gesture, "Aren't human bodies a bitch?"

Mattie groaned, "You're tellin' me, sister."

After several hours and a dozen or so bottles of champagne the impromptu engagement party was over. The guests had dispersed over the last hour until finally it was Mattie and James alone. The room would be cleaned up tomorrow, likely by Ms. Evers, James had shooed her away when Mattie was beginning to get handsy, the mess would be tolerated for now.

James and Mattie were engaged but without a date for the wedding in clear sight until one day Mattie arrived to the hotel following a full work week, still bedecked in scrubs, and looking heinously tired. Instead of going to James she went straight to Elizabeth first and asked of her and Will Drake's expertise concerning wedding dresses and how the ceremony should be decorated.

Later that night, settled in the bathroom of James' room, settled deeply and comfortably in the claw footed tub with warm water and pleasant smelling suds surrounding her and James poised on the floor beside the tub she explained that three patients had died during the past week, one of natural causes in their sleep, 99 years old, while the other two were heart attacks, just 72 and 80 years old. Her anxiety was building about her heart abnormality and high probability of sudden death, she didn't want to die outside of the hotel and risk missing eternity with James, so she had Elizabeth and Will helping with wedding preparations that would be in little more than a week, Devil's Night.

"If that's okay?" she wondered, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"Darling, that's a wonderful idea! We'll be able to have much more esteemed guests in attendance!"

As a child Mattie had given the idle thought to her future wedding now and then, but never had she ever given the thought that she would be marrying the _ghost_ of the infamous owner of the Murder Hotel Cortez, and that among her wedding guests would be the spirits of _serial killers_ such as Aileen Wuornos, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer, which her fiancé fondly referred to as his students and equals.

Halloween had always been Mattie's favorite holiday, she hadn't known what Devil's Night was until Elizabeth explained it. Elizabeth divulged that Devil's Night was also James' birthday, and brought forth the idea to have the wedding that day instead of Halloween day. "Marrying him on his birthday, is there a better gift than that?" she grinned as she helped the younger girl into her dress with Will looking on to be sure there weren't any more alterations needed.

He shook his head, "It's perfect."

"Thank you… so much," Mattie started tearing up but Elizabeth shushed her and warned her that tears would absolutely ruin her beautiful dress and her beautiful face. And that was enough to catch Mattie off guard and cause her to laugh, dissipating the emotion that had mounted up in her chest to a more controlled level. "I really do appreciate all this." She took in a deep breath after her dress was carefully removed and sighed it out in a big huff of words, "Tomorrow's going to be crazy."

"Tomorrow is going to be amazing," Elizabeth assured her, "Now go get some rest." With Elizabeth's involvement she made sure - since the date had been settled - that James and Mattie didn't see one another until the wedding day, so she had Mattie staying in the penthouse with her. Naturally, Ms. Evers stayed away from the Countess, although her instincts urged her to dote on the future-Mrs. March and make sure all her things that needed laundering were spotless for the big day. Luckily for the maid, James sought her expertise and had her focus her skills on his tuxedo instead.

.

The hotel was bustling with guests, deceased and alive. Everyone was invited to the ceremony in the lobby and the reception that would take place at the Blue Parrot just a floor above it. James had not seen or heard from Mattie in a week due to Elizabeth's meddling and desire for tradition. He was agitated and high-strung but the presence of his compatriots proved to tame the beast. He was pacing his room, dressed except for his waistcoat and jacket, his hair was not put precisely in place yet and his shoes were off. His friends had never seen him so out of sorts before, in a way it was refreshing and endearing.

"Aileen, dear, shouldn't you be among the bride's company?" James wondered.

She snorted from where she was sat in a chair in the sitting room and kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, "Nah, I tried. Saw your woman and made a comment that Cleopatra apparently didn't like, got kicked out before I could get a foot in the door."

"Mm," Richard hummed from across the coffee table, "Girl lookin' fine in her dress?"

"Wasn't in the dress yet," Aileen broke into a fit of cackles that Richard joined in on.

"You guys!" John Gacy barked, and the laughter dampened into chuckles, "Can we not?" And at that moment John Lowe walked into the room.

"Not what?" He questioned but didn't stop in his stride to meet James and offer a firm handshake.

The other John sighed, "James is clearly nervous and these two aren't helping at all." He then turned towards James, "Is there anything we can do?"

"No, no! Of course not, my friend. It's just the… you know… anticipation of it all. I just wish we could get to it already!" His tone grew from carefree casual to irritated until he was growling.

"Well, that's what I came to tell you. They're about ready to start, so we should head down to the lobby," John Lowe said and clapped James on the back with a mad grin.

.

.

Mattie looked like a vision, like a throwback to 1920's wedding grandeur. Cream silk in several layers with a minimal train, a snug bodice, thin straps on her shoulders, topped with cream floral lace that emerged from the waist line and parted to offer clear view to collar bones and shoulder blades, wide arm holes stopped about mid bicep. She wasn't used to heeled shoes so Elizabeth had taken pity on her and gave her a two-inch heel rather than a five-inch with a platform like she had originally planned. Mattie's hair was arranged in an up-do of waves and curls collected just so, a sparkling headpiece placed at the base of the collection and no veil (surprisingly, since Elizabeth was bent on _**tradition**_ ) courtesy of Will Drake. Her makeup was stunning and undoubtedly the work of Elizabeth's steady and precise hand. If James' heart could still manage a beat it would be pounding right out of his chest at the sight of her as she walked down the aisle with her hand curled in the crook of Elizabeth's arm. Liz and Sally had strut down the aisle first, tossing out flower petals before the bride was guided out. It seemed quite _un_ traditional to have James' former bride walking his new bride down the aisle, but then again, _anything_ could happen in the Hotel Cortez. The ghosts of serial killers, victims of murderers, vampires, and humans were among attendees of James and Mattie's matrimony. So Elizabeth 'giving away' Mattie was the very least of the oddities surrounding the marriage. The bouquet in Mattie's right hand was primarily arranged with oriental lilies which contrasted beautifully with her dark hair and makeup and cream gown. When they reached the end of the aisle Elizabeth embraced Mattie tightly for a few long moments, a quiet exchange happening between the two before she pulled away and looked to James. Knowing ultimately this would set her free from his constant attention she kept a pleasant visage in place and stepped forward to briefly hug him. No words were exchanged between them, none were needed. Elizabeth took her seat in the front row among Liz, Tristan, Iris and Sally, and the ceremony began once Mattie extended her left hand out of to James and he enveloped it in his grasp. Their smiles were closed lipped and well if barely contained as they listened and answered and repeated as needed while the priest married them. In hindsight, it seemed rather ridiculous to have an actual priest officiate their marriage when James and Mattie were not at all the most religious of people, but tradition was tradition and it wasn't long before the man recited with a smile, "By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

"Finally!" James practically growled out, eliciting laughter and wolf whistles and howls from their witnesses when he circled his arms around Mattie's waist and dipped her just enough so that in her surprise he could capture her mouth in a proper kiss. He grinned when he felt her hands slide from where they had grabbed desperately at his shoulders for leverage to move around his neck, the lilies tickling against his ear, the bouquet acting as a fine shield when he slid his tongue against Mattie's for a few seconds more before easing away. He leaned Mattie back to proper posture, a manic grin on his face as she wiped at the lipstick left on his mouth, a crazed smile of her own adorning her lips. He couldn't look away from her, he'd never be able to look away from her, his Mattie, his Mattie who was now his wife for eternity (when all was said and done). She met his gaze, filled with just as much excitement and love.

They faced their audience of witnesses together, hand in hand as the priest behind them raised his voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. March!"

Cheers erupted and echoed throughout the lobby and it was then that James and Mattie realized just how packed with friends and acquaintances the ground floor truly was. Walking down the aisle together they were showered with confetti and flower petals, giggling like fools until they reached the bottom of a set of stairs that led to the first floor where the Blue Parrot was bedecked in decorations for the reception.

"Dearest friends and esteemed colleagues! I invite you all to join my wife and I for the reception proceedings at the Blue Parrot lounge. Eat, drink, and be merry! We shall be with you shortly!"

Together they entered the elevator and quietly ascended to the 7th floor. Mattie was quite perplexed when James kept his groping to a minimum, in fact his hand merely remained on her waist the entire ride up. When she glanced up at him, her confusion plainly written on her face he simply returned the look with a smile that was obviously forced at the edges. The hand on her waist slid to the small of her back and with a gentle guiding gesture he insisted ladies first when the carriage halted and the doors opened to the 7th floor hallway. The walk to room 78 should have been a struggle, Mattie thought, she should've been trying to preserve the integrity of her perfectly applied makeup and her gorgeous dress from James' feral desire. But here they were at the door and he was an absolute gentleman, in fact he seemed apprehensive in a way, even when he plucked Mattie from the floor to do the classic bridal carry over the threshold.

Once in their room and back on her feet Mattie kicked off her heels, even if they were only two inches her toes were sore and aching for some slippers. She settled down on the seat at the vanity; her curious stare did not cease as she watched her husband stand at the foot of the bed and began to peel away the layers of his tuxedo. "Now…" he started loudly, seeming to startle himself he cleared his throat and corrected his volume, "What are we to do about your death… I… I'm not sure if I have it in me to actually **kill** you, darling." He was down to his underthings only as he approached Mattie from where she sat at the vanity. He knelt to one knee, his glance tilted up to stare at her with such sad eyes, who would've thought James March could possess such a sadness in a gaze that regularly crazed? His hands raised to brushed his fingertips against her temples, careful of the arrangement of her hair. His palms gently held her face, his moustache twitching along with his lip as he weighed his words before blurting, "Once upon a time I might've lusted to witness the light of life leave your eyes but now…" He chuckled, "Look at you! You're far too beautiful at this very moment and I love you so very much, dear."

A smirk was pulling at the corner of Mattie's mouth the entirety of his admission, she raised her hand to lay a finger against his lips, "Alright I'm gonna stop you right there." There was something of laughter in her tone as she took her finger away and mirrored his pose with her hands framing his face. She leant down, muttering quietly as the space between them lessened, "Because we don't have to worry about that." She punctuated the fact with a kiss on his confusion slackened mouth.

"How do you mean?"

She retracted her touch from him and dislodged his from her when she sat up straight and turned her back to him, "Would you help me undo this while I explain?" James obliged her, nimble fingers taking upon the task of the twelve little pearl buttons easily. Mattie continued on as promised, raising her own hands to pull a few pins from her hair as she did. With a short sigh as a precursor she bluntly admitted, "I died three days ago." James' hands stilled momentarily and then continued with the last two buttons, he watched her hair cascade down in a waving, curling waterfall down her back, nearly covering up the splayed area he'd just unbuttoned. Mattie turned back to face him, the collected pins cast to the top of the vanity blindly as she went on, "Sally helped me; gave me something of a Brompton cocktail so it would be painless. It felt just like falling asleep. Then waking up without any weight on my chest…" There was a smile curling her mouth again and James couldn't help but mimic it. "Will thought the oriental lilies would be a sly touch since they mean eternal life."

James was silent for a long few moments, beyond words, just a look of pure exhilaration on his features before he abruptly stood to his full height while swooping up Mattie around her hips in his arms. "Eternal life!" he crowed at the top of his lungs and Mattie laughed just as loudly. He turned in circles several times, just his and Mattie's joyous laughter filling the room until he tipped to the side so they landed heavily on the bed. He adjusted their bodies so he loomed over her, characteristic lunacy lighting up his eyes as he whispered reverently in the air between them, "Forever with my everlasting love."

The guests were surprised to find Mr. and Mrs. March among them so promptly just ten minutes after disappearing to their room to change. Indeed they were changed, into formal wear but not nearly as fancy as their wedding garb. Aileen couldn't help but voice the wedding party's collective surprise with a vulgar comment about performance issues in the bedroom that James easily laughed off. Nothing could sour his mood now, not when Mattie was his wife and her immortal soul was bound to the hotel with his. The night ended with a birthday song for James, and he and his students/equals disappearing to slaughter the priest – weddings had traditions and so did Devil's Night, who said they couldn't coincide?

When Iris and Liz checked in Mattie Ryan just a short time ago they had hoped she wasn't a weirdo hoping to get plowed by a ghost or some smackhead looking for a place to haphazardly balance on the brink of bliss and death. They weren't at all anticipating this outwardly average guest would remain checked in at the Hotel Cortez forever as the damned soul of one Mrs. Mattie March.

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End file.
